The Lowly King (Matthew 21:1-11)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:04.879 I went back and looked. I preached on this particular pass eats four times 2 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:10.550 over the years and each sermon has has emphasized a different aspect of the text. 3 00:00:11.109 --> 00:00:13.710 There's a lot here to chew on. It's a very rich text. 4 00:00:14.150 --> 00:00:16.750 So what I want to do is I want to read this entire text, 5 00:00:16.829 --> 00:00:21.149 versus one through eleven, but then I want to go back and sort of 6 00:00:21.269 --> 00:00:26.660 camp out for a while on verse five, and that's where Matthew quotes the 7 00:00:26.739 --> 00:00:33.859 Old Testament Prophet Zachariah, Chapter Nine, verse so this is God's word for 8 00:00:33.899 --> 00:00:39.729 us this morning, so let's pay heed to it now. When they drew 9 00:00:39.810 --> 00:00:43.770 near to Jerusalem and came to Beth fudge, to the Mount of Olives, 10 00:00:44.289 --> 00:00:48.250 then Jesus sent two disciples saying to them, go into the village in front 11 00:00:48.250 --> 00:00:53.479 of you and immediately you will find a donkey tiede and a cult with her 12 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:58.640 untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, 13 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:02.719 you shall say the Lord needs them and he will send them at once. 14 00:01:03.549 --> 00:01:08.269 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Prophet, saying say to 15 00:01:08.310 --> 00:01:12.150 the daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming to you, humble 16 00:01:12.950 --> 00:01:18.349 and mounted on a donkey and on a Colt, the full of a beast 17 00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:23.659 of burden. The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They 18 00:01:23.700 --> 00:01:26.260 brought the donkey and the Colt and put on them their cloaks and he sat 19 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:32.500 on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others 20 00:01:32.579 --> 00:01:37.250 cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds 21 00:01:37.329 --> 00:01:41.290 that went before him and that followed him were shouting Hosanna to the son of 22 00:01:41.329 --> 00:01:45.650 David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna 23 00:01:45.810 --> 00:01:49.000 in the highest. And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred 24 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:55.000 up, saying who is this, and the crowd said this is the prophet 25 00:01:55.040 --> 00:02:02.750 Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. Please pray with me, Lord. We we 26 00:02:02.909 --> 00:02:07.270 live in a context, for there are many voices that clamor for our attention, 27 00:02:08.550 --> 00:02:13.509 that demand our response, that claim that we owe our allegiance to them. 28 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:21.979 Some are summer voices of our own lust and ambitions and pride and selfishness 29 00:02:22.099 --> 00:02:29.099 within some are the clamoring voices of the world all around us. Help US 30 00:02:29.139 --> 00:02:31.530 pleased by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit now to hear, above the 31 00:02:31.689 --> 00:02:38.810 din the cacophony of competing voices, the clear voice of our say savior saying 32 00:02:38.889 --> 00:02:44.129 to us this is the way walk in. It give us ears to hear 33 00:02:44.250 --> 00:02:49.520 what the Holy Spirit says today to his church in Jesus name. Amen, 34 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:59.550 please be seated. You know, the most important I've ever lived was was 35 00:02:59.669 --> 00:03:06.430 that of Jesus Christ, and the most important part of that life arguably was 36 00:03:06.750 --> 00:03:14.819 the momentous week that ended it. The week began with Jesus Entry into Jerusalem 37 00:03:14.900 --> 00:03:19.860 on what we call Palm Sunday today, and that week included, if you 38 00:03:19.979 --> 00:03:23.219 recall, his second cleansing of the temple. It included his final teaching, 39 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:30.009 his arrest, his trial and crucifixion, and it ended with his resurrection from 40 00:03:30.009 --> 00:03:38.650 the dead on Easter Sunday. Eight momentous days in all. You know this, 41 00:03:38.930 --> 00:03:43.639 this final week. It's so important that the gospels give a lot of 42 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:51.800 space to it. Jesus lived thirty three years. His Public Ministry was for 43 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:59.030 three years, but large portions of the Gospel accounts are given over to the 44 00:03:59.270 --> 00:04:05.870 events of this last eight days of his life. Matthew devotes one fourth to 45 00:04:06.030 --> 00:04:13.620 it. Mark Uses one three of his Gospel look gives a fifth of his 46 00:04:13.819 --> 00:04:18.379 chapters to the events of this last week and most remarkable of all, one 47 00:04:18.579 --> 00:04:28.050 half of John's Gospel deals with us this last week of Jesus life. Taken 48 00:04:28.170 --> 00:04:32.970 together, there are eighty nine chapters in the four Gospels and twenty nine and 49 00:04:33.129 --> 00:04:41.519 one half of these, or one third, recount what happened between Jesus Triumphal 50 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:47.839 Entry into Jerusalem and His resurrection eight days. So this is an important week 51 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:54.430 and I think we know that the reason it's important is that these are the 52 00:04:54.550 --> 00:05:00.310 climactic events not only of Jesus earthly life, these are the climactic events of 53 00:05:00.470 --> 00:05:09.860 all history. They were planned before the foundation of the world and, dear 54 00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:15.019 ones, are salvation from sin and from God's wrath to pin completely on them. 55 00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:24.569 So this week begins with what we call the triumphal entry of Jesus into 56 00:05:24.610 --> 00:05:30.449 Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Now we've read this account in Matthew, but all 57 00:05:30.529 --> 00:05:35.879 the gospels record this event and I think the first significant thing they tell us 58 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:44.000 about it is that Jesus arranged everything that was going to happen. You know, 59 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:50.269 this wasn't just a case of some spontaneous outbursts of excitement on the part 60 00:05:50.310 --> 00:05:53.790 of the people. That was certainly part of it, that was there, 61 00:05:55.269 --> 00:05:59.790 but this was something the Lord carefully planned and he did that in order to 62 00:05:59.990 --> 00:06:04.860 make a statement. And look at the text. Matthew says that is Jesus 63 00:06:04.939 --> 00:06:11.540 and the disciples were approaching Beth foge and, which is an outlying district of 64 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:16.660 Jerusalem. Jesus sent to the disciples on ahead of them to procure this donkey 65 00:06:17.889 --> 00:06:25.089 and a cold go into the village in front of you and immediately you will 66 00:06:25.129 --> 00:06:30.250 find a donkey, tide and a Colt with her untie them and bring them 67 00:06:30.290 --> 00:06:34.399 to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say the Lord 68 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:40.319 Needs Him and he will send them at once. Now, Mark and Luke 69 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:46.720 tell us that someone did ask why the disciples were taking the Colt, but 70 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:49.829 they released it when they learned that it was the Lord who needed it. 71 00:06:51.189 --> 00:06:59.110 So why did Jesus do this? Why did he arrange to enter Jerusalem in 72 00:06:59.189 --> 00:07:04.540 this particular way? You know he didn't. He certainly didn't need to ride 73 00:07:04.540 --> 00:07:11.899 into Jerusalem. Jesus was a walker. He'd already walked the entire distance from 74 00:07:11.899 --> 00:07:18.410 Galilee. In fact, this is the only occasion that I could find were 75 00:07:18.490 --> 00:07:27.569 we hear of Jesus doing anything but walking in his earthly life. Obviously he 76 00:07:27.730 --> 00:07:30.759 wanted to make a point, he wanted to make a statement of some kind. 77 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:36.680 He wanted to take a symbolic action, if you will. You know, 78 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:42.279 it's interesting if you go back and look, you'll see that the prophets 79 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:47.910 often did this. You see, this was part and parcel of their repertoire, 80 00:07:48.910 --> 00:07:54.069 so to speak. You remember when Jeremiah was told to buy a clay 81 00:07:54.149 --> 00:07:59.060 jar and then he was to break it to symbolizing the breaking of the nation, 82 00:07:59.100 --> 00:08:05.939 or or when he he bought a field to symbolize God's commitment to bring 83 00:08:05.980 --> 00:08:11.420 the people back to the land of Israel after their captivity. You know, 84 00:08:11.459 --> 00:08:16.449 or think of Homer, of Joseiah, I'm sorry, Joseah, who was 85 00:08:16.529 --> 00:08:22.730 told to marry Gomer, who would be unfaithful to him, to symbolize how 86 00:08:22.970 --> 00:08:26.769 Israel was being unfaithful to God himself. So well, I think Jesus is 87 00:08:26.009 --> 00:08:30.920 doing the same sort of thing here. Well, what was he trying to 88 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:37.200 do? What kind of statement was he making by writing into the city as 89 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:43.990 he did? Well, the meaning of what Jesus was arranging to do is 90 00:08:45.110 --> 00:08:52.750 found in matthews quote of Zachariah nine. Matthew tells us in verse four that 91 00:08:52.870 --> 00:08:58.940 all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Prophet the what did 92 00:08:58.019 --> 00:09:03.460 the Prophet say? It's in verse five say to the Daughters of Zion, 93 00:09:03.580 --> 00:09:07.539 behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey 94 00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:13.169 and on a cult the full of a beast of burden. You know, 95 00:09:13.289 --> 00:09:16.289 if you were to go back and look at the context of this verse, 96 00:09:16.570 --> 00:09:22.129 we would see that it's taken from a section of Zachariah that prophesized what was 97 00:09:22.210 --> 00:09:28.759 going to happen to Israel in the future. And what it prophesizes is the 98 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:33.440 coming of God's King, the coming of the Messiah, the coming of the 99 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:39.309 anointed of God. And that's what Matthew is showing here. He shows Jesus 100 00:09:39.509 --> 00:09:48.350 is coming to his capital city as the rightful king of Israel. But there's 101 00:09:48.350 --> 00:09:54.019 a little there's a little hitch here. This was a different kind of king 102 00:09:54.620 --> 00:10:05.379 than many people expected. He wasn't a warlike monarch. He didn't come riding 103 00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:11.889 in on a big white charger to marshal the troops to action. He wouldn't 104 00:10:11.889 --> 00:10:16.090 like that he didn't do that. Rather, Jesus comes, verse five, 105 00:10:16.250 --> 00:10:24.120 says, Humbly and mounted on a donkey. You know, I found out 106 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:28.679 in those days donkeys were a little bit more noble, and perhaps they are 107 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:33.240 today. Back then kings did in fact often ride on donkeys. If you 108 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:39.230 recall David, when David appointed Solomon as to be his successor as the King 109 00:10:39.309 --> 00:10:43.549 of Israel, he put him on his own personal mule. He took him 110 00:10:43.590 --> 00:10:50.019 to Gahan to be annointed by Zadok the priest and Nathan the Prophet. That 111 00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:54.539 sort of thing happened back then. So the donkey was not in and of 112 00:10:54.620 --> 00:11:01.500 itself a humble form of transportation, but a warrior would never go into battle 113 00:11:01.340 --> 00:11:09.250 on a donkey. So the donkey is significant. The donkey did symbolize that 114 00:11:09.330 --> 00:11:15.009 Jesus was coming in peace, not for war, that his reign would be 115 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:20.000 peaceful. You know, when I think of all that, what came to 116 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:22.840 mind was that great hymn lead on, Oh king of eternal which is going 117 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:28.639 to be our closing him this morning, which makes this same point. For 118 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:35.470 not with swords loud clashing, nor roll of stirring drum, but deeds of 119 00:11:35.669 --> 00:11:43.269 love and mercy. The heavenly kingdom comes. With deeds of love and mercy 120 00:11:43.470 --> 00:11:50.940 the heavenly kingdom comes. And that's the way Jesus came into Jerusalem at First 121 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:58.179 Palm Sunday. Now I have to point this out. When Matthew Coach Zachariah, 122 00:11:58.259 --> 00:12:01.490 Chapter Nine, verse nine, here in Verse Five, he doesn't quote 123 00:12:01.529 --> 00:12:07.730 him exactly. He leaves a couple of phrases out. The actual verse from 124 00:12:07.730 --> 00:12:16.720 Zachariah goes like this. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion, Shout Aloud, 125 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:22.320 oh daughter of Jerusalem, behold, your king is coming to you righteous 126 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:28.080 and having salvation. Is He humble and mounted on a donkey, on a 127 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:33.149 Colt, on the foal of a donkey? Rejoice. Let me read that 128 00:12:33.230 --> 00:12:37.830 again. Rejoice greatly, Old Daughter of Zion, shout aloud, old daughter 129 00:12:37.950 --> 00:12:43.789 of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you righteous and having salvation. 130 00:12:43.990 --> 00:12:46.820 Is He humble and mounted on a donkey, on a Colt, the 131 00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:54.139 fall of a donkey. You know it's it's true that whenever God would have 132 00:12:54.379 --> 00:13:01.210 his people especially glad or joyful, joyful or rejoicing or blessed, it's always 133 00:13:01.370 --> 00:13:09.970 in himself. So you see, when Zachariah writes, rejoice greatly. The 134 00:13:09.129 --> 00:13:13.759 reason were to do that is behold, your king is coming to you. 135 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:22.519 In other words, our chief reason for rejoicing is the presence of King Jesus 136 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:26.509 in our midst. It's always been that way, it always will be that 137 00:13:26.710 --> 00:13:33.509 way. You know, the shorter catechism, the Westminster shorter catechism, says 138 00:13:33.509 --> 00:13:39.110 that our chief end is to glorify this king and to enjoy him forever. 139 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:45.139 So jackariah goes on. He shows why the Lord, our King, is 140 00:13:45.220 --> 00:13:50.179 such a source of joy. It's because he's righteous, he's just, he 141 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:58.330 brings US salvation. You see, Jesus has completely worked out this difficult problem 142 00:14:00.690 --> 00:14:07.210 of how can God be righteous and just and yet save sinners? How can 143 00:14:07.289 --> 00:14:11.440 he do that? Well, God can do that because Jesus is righteous, 144 00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:16.960 he's just, he's sinless and these own personal character he's righteous and that he 145 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:22.960 has borne the penalty of sin. He's been cleared from the sin which he 146 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:30.149 voluntarily he took upon himself and, having endured this terrible ordeal of the cross, 147 00:14:31.830 --> 00:14:39.740 he satisfied God's wrath and he is saved and his people are saved with 148 00:14:39.820 --> 00:14:46.940 him, and we admire the righteousness which marks his reign. Were grateful for 149 00:14:46.059 --> 00:14:52.620 the salvation with which he brings to us, and so we cry out Hosanna 150 00:14:52.700 --> 00:14:56.529 to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of 151 00:14:56.570 --> 00:15:01.690 the Lord. Hosanna in the highest you know, and it's written of him, 152 00:15:03.570 --> 00:15:09.440 that this coming King is humble and gentle or, as I think the 153 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:15.480 King James Version says, he is lowly. Would certainly can't be said of 154 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:20.470 most kings and powerful people that you and I know today. You know his 155 00:15:20.669 --> 00:15:28.470 outward state, perfectly manifest the humility and the gentleness of his character. He 156 00:15:28.629 --> 00:15:35.220 appears to be what he really is. He conceals nothing from his chosen people. 157 00:15:35.340 --> 00:15:39.659 What you see is what you get. Now he rides in on a 158 00:15:39.779 --> 00:15:45.899 donkey and not some prancing white horse, which we've noted. That's what warriors 159 00:15:45.980 --> 00:15:52.090 chose for their triumphal entries, instead of court attendance and their fancy poofy robes. 160 00:15:54.409 --> 00:16:00.409 He was surrounded by common peasants and fishermen, children, the humblest of 161 00:16:00.490 --> 00:16:06.879 men and the youngest of the race shouted his praise. Branches of trees, 162 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:12.080 cloaks of friends were spread all over the road. Now this was a spontaneous 163 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:18.360 expression of love from friends. It's not the stage pageantry that you typically see 164 00:16:18.909 --> 00:16:25.549 with earthly kings. Now, this king is totally different from earthly kings that 165 00:16:25.669 --> 00:16:32.629 we know of. He's lonely, he's gentle, he's humble. Now that's 166 00:16:32.710 --> 00:16:37.580 what his entry into Jerusalem set on that first palm Sunday so many years ago. 167 00:16:37.059 --> 00:16:44.179 He came as a different kind of king, and that's what I want 168 00:16:44.179 --> 00:16:48.690 us to sort of explore and the time that's left to us this morning, 169 00:16:48.730 --> 00:16:55.049 I want us to look a bit more closely at the loneliness of this king 170 00:16:56.570 --> 00:16:59.970 who comes to us, and I want us to thank first, just for 171 00:17:00.009 --> 00:17:07.839 a few minutes, of how this lonliness is actually manifested in our Lord Jesus. 172 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:11.759 What does it look like? How is it displayed in his life? 173 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:17.309 What are the key aspects of this loneliness? Then I want us to think 174 00:17:17.470 --> 00:17:21.430 for just a moment of what that means for us today. What are some 175 00:17:21.589 --> 00:17:27.630 of the applications to us today? What are some of the lessons we can 176 00:17:27.670 --> 00:17:33.740 learn from the loneliness of our King? So how is this loneliness displayed in 177 00:17:33.900 --> 00:17:41.500 our or Jesus Christ? I've just picked out a few first I can't help 178 00:17:41.619 --> 00:17:52.490 but think of the loneliness of Christ and even undertaking my salvation. Why would 179 00:17:52.490 --> 00:18:00.319 he even consider rescuing a sinful man like me or you? You know, 180 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:03.799 Man Without Sin, as God first made him, is certainly a noble creature. 181 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:08.480 You know, the Bible says that he was made a little lower than 182 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:12.829 the angels. But, dear ones, as a center, man is not 183 00:18:14.109 --> 00:18:25.950 noble. He's vile, he's base, vulgar, arrogant and dishonorable. He's 184 00:18:26.069 --> 00:18:30.339 worthy only to be destroyed, and in this state he can make no claims 185 00:18:32.380 --> 00:18:36.579 against God. Now, God would be perfectly within his rights to blot him 186 00:18:36.579 --> 00:18:45.529 completely out of existence. Yet this eternal God condescended, he bowed down from 187 00:18:45.569 --> 00:18:52.289 his high throne in heaven to redeem and sanctify the sons of men. You 188 00:18:52.450 --> 00:19:00.960 know, at best we're frail creatures, born yesterday, we die today. 189 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:08.559 We're like green leaves in the forest for a while and then our autumn comes, 190 00:19:10.109 --> 00:19:17.470 we fade and the wind carries us away. And yet, for such 191 00:19:17.630 --> 00:19:22.109 frail and vile creatures, the Lord of Glory came to this sin plagued earth 192 00:19:23.420 --> 00:19:32.460 and saved his people. Now think of the loneliness and the humility of our 193 00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:38.170 Lord to do that, to come to earth and associate with people like that, 194 00:19:40.450 --> 00:19:45.089 and not only to do that, but to want to do that and 195 00:19:45.289 --> 00:19:53.559 even to delight in doing that. And you see, it's precisely here that 196 00:19:53.759 --> 00:20:03.000 he showed his loneliness. He came and actually assumed our nature. This is 197 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:10.789 wonderful. Here we have a free spirit voluntarily incasing himself in human clay, 198 00:20:11.990 --> 00:20:18.269 a pure spirit willingly becoming a partaker of flesh and blood. This is wonderful 199 00:20:18.549 --> 00:20:30.700 loneliness. The strong is encompassed with infirmity and weakness. The infinitely holy becomes 200 00:20:30.700 --> 00:20:36.170 a part art of a race of people who are notorious for their sin and 201 00:20:37.410 --> 00:20:45.730 their ungodliness. The infinite God unites himself with a human body. He's born 202 00:20:45.890 --> 00:20:53.119 into our infancy, he grows up into our youth, he works through our 203 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:59.759 manhood, he accomplishes a life much like our own, dear ones. This 204 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:07.109 is a miracle of loneliness. No, furthermore, our Lord manifested his true 205 00:21:07.190 --> 00:21:14.150 loneliness here on Earth by carrying out in full measure the part of a servant. 206 00:21:15.069 --> 00:21:19.619 Effasians to versus six through eight says that although Jesus was in the form 207 00:21:19.660 --> 00:21:25.299 of God. He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 208 00:21:26.579 --> 00:21:33.369 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant. Being born 209 00:21:33.450 --> 00:21:37.529 in the likeness of man and being found in human form, he humbled himself 210 00:21:38.529 --> 00:21:44.410 by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 211 00:21:45.130 --> 00:21:53.039 He made himself of no reputation. He became a servant of servants. You 212 00:21:53.119 --> 00:21:56.839 know, Jesus could, he could truthfully say to his disciples, you call 213 00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:00.630 me master and Lord it and it's true, because I am. Yet he 214 00:22:00.950 --> 00:22:06.869 their master and Lord. What did he do? He washed their feet, 215 00:22:07.630 --> 00:22:12.109 giving them an example of how they were to serve each other after he was 216 00:22:12.190 --> 00:22:17.819 gone. Dear ones, it is a wonderful thing that the Lord of all 217 00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:26.460 should have become the servant. Let me just keep you thinking a moment longer 218 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:33.890 about the Lord's lowliness by having you remember his lifelong poverty. You know, 219 00:22:33.009 --> 00:22:38.289 Jesus never directs his disciples to espouse poverty. Never did that unless it's for 220 00:22:38.490 --> 00:22:45.359 his sake. Only if riches were keeping someone from him, such as the 221 00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:48.799 rich young ruler, that he say, sell all and give it to the 222 00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:53.519 poor and come follow me. But it was important to his own personal work, 223 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:57.950 that he should become poor that his people might be made rich, and 224 00:22:59.109 --> 00:23:03.869 this he cheerfully and dure. You know, think about it. He was 225 00:23:03.990 --> 00:23:11.430 born in a borrowed cradle, in a borrowed stable. He lived most of 226 00:23:11.509 --> 00:23:18.019 his life in borrowed houses, living upon the charity of his followers, and 227 00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:22.500 when he rested, it was often in a borrowed bed. The Fox's head 228 00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:26.849 holes, but he had no place to lay his head. He preached from 229 00:23:26.849 --> 00:23:33.930 a borrowed boat and when he died he was buried in a borrowed too. 230 00:23:34.609 --> 00:23:40.890 But the interesting thing about all that is that he never seemed uneasy about it. 231 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:45.720 He never seemed uncomfortable in and around this poverty. It never bothered him 232 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:52.440 in the least. In this poverty he magnified his loneliness and humility. And 233 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:56.670 Look at the people he associated with. You know, at times I see 234 00:23:56.710 --> 00:24:02.549 more of his loneliness in them than in anyone else. You know, Jesus, 235 00:24:03.670 --> 00:24:11.460 who was in all respects superior to everybody. He never played this superior 236 00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:15.140 person card once in his life. He never once put on airs, he 237 00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:22.660 was never arrogant. Now he sat next to a well and he talked to 238 00:24:22.779 --> 00:24:30.650 a woman. His disciples marveled at that. They couldn't believe that he would 239 00:24:30.650 --> 00:24:34.450 do that. That was something that rabbi is just didn't do. Back then, 240 00:24:37.769 --> 00:24:44.039 we read in scripture that hated tax colaries, tax collectors and centers gathered 241 00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:51.039 around him. He associated with prostitutes. He ate with these people. See, 242 00:24:51.079 --> 00:24:56.910 these were the dregs, these were the outcasts of society. Yet Jesus 243 00:24:56.990 --> 00:25:00.829 always had a kind word for them. His rule was he that comes to 244 00:25:00.950 --> 00:25:08.220 me. I will never cast out. He received little children. Nobody back 245 00:25:08.259 --> 00:25:15.660 then ever listen to children. But you recall when his disciples rebuked the people 246 00:25:15.779 --> 00:25:19.500 for bringing children to him. Jesus rebuked them and he said let the little 247 00:25:19.539 --> 00:25:26.529 children come to me and do not hinder them for two such belongs the Kingdom 248 00:25:26.569 --> 00:25:33.089 of Heaven. See, Jesus accepted little children as the pattern of the kind 249 00:25:33.130 --> 00:25:37.000 of people who would enter his kingdom, and he was completely at home with 250 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:42.440 them. He liked being around kids. You know, I think it's absolutely 251 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:51.589 true that proud men seldom care for children and, for that matter, children 252 00:25:52.150 --> 00:25:56.670 seldom care for proud men to but our lord and his true loneliness of heart, 253 00:25:56.750 --> 00:26:04.859 loved children and they loved him because he wouldn't proud and I would have 254 00:26:06.019 --> 00:26:11.619 you note the Lonliness of our Lord by his patient bearing up under accusations. 255 00:26:12.539 --> 00:26:21.009 You know it. Just consider all the false and foul things said about Jesus 256 00:26:21.170 --> 00:26:26.569 and he's lifetime. People said he was a Drunkard, he said he was 257 00:26:26.650 --> 00:26:33.640 a wine bibber. The charge must have grieved him, but he didn't get 258 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:37.839 angry, he didn't threaten his accusers. They said he had a devil. 259 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:45.160 He did answer that, but he confounded his accusers by my making them see 260 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.670 the absurdity, if you will, of the charge. Because if the devil 261 00:26:48.750 --> 00:26:52.190 was in Jesus fighting against the devil, then the devil must have been divided 262 00:26:52.190 --> 00:27:00.029 against himself and his kingdom would soon come to an end. You know, 263 00:27:00.150 --> 00:27:04.740 towards the end of his life, Jesus enemies gathered up all these charges. 264 00:27:07.180 --> 00:27:11.140 You recall, they brought them the pilot, but Jesus never answered them. 265 00:27:11.579 --> 00:27:17.089 He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, 266 00:27:18.250 --> 00:27:22.130 like a lamb that has led to the slaughter and like a sheep that, 267 00:27:22.250 --> 00:27:29.089 before it Shears, is silent. So he opened not his mouth. In 268 00:27:29.369 --> 00:27:34.559 silence, he maintained his loneliness. And then, finally, I think as 269 00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:42.559 the crown of his loneliness, Jesus died. This king laid down his life 270 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:48.589 for his people. And here's the thing. It wasn't some glorious death in 271 00:27:48.789 --> 00:27:53.829 battle. He didn't die amidst the tears of a grateful nation who mourned for 272 00:27:53.950 --> 00:28:00.220 him. Know, he died with criminals. He died at the Common Cross. 273 00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:07.259 He died a MR crowd of doubters and scoffers, where felons cast contempt 274 00:28:07.380 --> 00:28:11.500 upon him as he hung between them. If you're the son of God, 275 00:28:11.660 --> 00:28:18.410 then come down from this cross you see the endurance. That kind of scorn 276 00:28:21.130 --> 00:28:26.769 is the utmost proof, I think, of a loneliness of spirit, a 277 00:28:26.930 --> 00:28:34.039 loneliness a gentleness, a humility which you and I humbly admire and feebly imitate 278 00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:41.359 but which we can never equal. So those are just, I think, 279 00:28:41.470 --> 00:28:48.190 some of the manifestations of loneliness of this king who comes to us today. 280 00:28:49.109 --> 00:28:53.470 Well, what are some of the things that we can learn from this loneliness 281 00:28:53.549 --> 00:28:57.420 of our Lord? What does it mean for us? How could we apply 282 00:28:57.619 --> 00:29:02.740 that to our lives today? Well, I think the first obvious lesson which 283 00:29:02.779 --> 00:29:07.700 we've all come to is that we are called to be lowly as Jesus is 284 00:29:07.339 --> 00:29:14.089 lowly. You know, some might say you. Well, I I try 285 00:29:14.170 --> 00:29:18.329 to be lowly, I try to be humble. I'd like to think that 286 00:29:18.410 --> 00:29:23.960 I'm a tender hearted and sensitive in my dealings with things and people, but 287 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:29.359 I don't think it works that way. You know, you can't try to 288 00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:33.559 act lowly and humble. You have to be lowly and then, I think, 289 00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:37.480 will naturally act in a humble manner. You know, I shouldn't be, 290 00:29:37.670 --> 00:29:42.069 but I'm always amazed at how much pride there is in the most modest 291 00:29:42.990 --> 00:29:49.190 of people. Now, how we condemn pride, but don't we often believe 292 00:29:49.230 --> 00:29:55.339 that it would be nice if everybody was as humble as we are. You 293 00:29:55.460 --> 00:30:02.619 know, we boast that we absolutely detest boasting. We flatter ourselves that we 294 00:30:02.740 --> 00:30:07.809 hate flattery, but deep down we love the praise of men. We love 295 00:30:07.890 --> 00:30:12.170 it. Dear ones, we have to pray that God would make us slowly, 296 00:30:12.769 --> 00:30:17.890 would make us humble. See, if we become the lowliest of the 297 00:30:17.970 --> 00:30:25.240 lowly, it certainly won't be much of a stretch on our part. We'll 298 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:27.279 only come down to the point which we should never have left in the first 299 00:30:27.319 --> 00:30:33.319 place. So I think that's one thing. That's the obvious lesson. That's 300 00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:38.630 the obliss obvious application. You know, I think we also need to learn 301 00:30:40.990 --> 00:30:47.990 to bear up under the false accusations and slander, dislike our Lord. Did 302 00:30:48.750 --> 00:30:52.460 you know how hard that is? For most of it it's this is so 303 00:30:52.660 --> 00:30:56.059 hard for me to do that. And now I hear that somebody has said 304 00:30:56.099 --> 00:30:59.700 something bad about me. And what do I do? I get on my 305 00:30:59.779 --> 00:31:03.900 high horse and I want to respond, to retaliate, to make it right, 306 00:31:03.019 --> 00:31:07.369 regardless of the cause. How dare that person to fame my character? 307 00:31:07.650 --> 00:31:10.529 He can't be allowed to do that. So what do I do? I 308 00:31:10.730 --> 00:31:15.410 far off a tweet, you know, studying the record straight. You know, 309 00:31:15.490 --> 00:31:22.920 I think a lot of Christians lose their balance when their misrepresented. The 310 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:26.880 lamb starts to roar like a lion. And often what happens? Churches are 311 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:36.190 torn apart, families ruined, just to avenge a hasty word. That certainly 312 00:31:36.349 --> 00:31:41.269 wasn't the spirit of our blessed master. Oh that the Lord would stamp out 313 00:31:41.349 --> 00:31:45.390 our pride, make us lowly and humble in heart, that we would submit 314 00:31:45.509 --> 00:31:55.019 to wrong rather than risk resistance. Let the Lord be our Avenger. Well, 315 00:31:55.660 --> 00:32:00.059 let me close with this. You know, Jesus says that we're to 316 00:32:00.140 --> 00:32:06.690 be lowly and humble and gentle. There should be nothing harsh or rude about 317 00:32:06.690 --> 00:32:13.490 the demeanor of a Christian. We should always be kind and courteous and consider 318 00:32:13.609 --> 00:32:19.240 it to others, just like our Lord was. But I don't always manifest 319 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:23.519 those characteristics and I suspect that there are some out there that don't do it 320 00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:30.589 either. You know the Apostle Paul. He was writing from a prison cell 321 00:32:30.750 --> 00:32:35.710 in Rome and he ends a letter to his beloved church in Philippi by saying 322 00:32:35.789 --> 00:32:42.869 all the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. Now most of 323 00:32:42.990 --> 00:32:50.420 us just pass right over that little postscript to this letter, but there's something 324 00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:57.180 very important here that speaks directly to what we've been talking about. You know, 325 00:32:57.259 --> 00:33:00.650 if you recall, Nero at that time was the emperor of Rome. 326 00:33:00.769 --> 00:33:06.009 He was the Caesar of Rome, and he was not a very pleasant person. 327 00:33:07.849 --> 00:33:13.240 I'm told he even killed his mother. Yet the Lord Jesus Christ could 328 00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:19.880 enable there to be Christians Evil and even in this evil man's house, this 329 00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:25.079 evil man's palace. Now just think for a moment how difficult it must have 330 00:33:25.240 --> 00:33:31.630 been to be a Christian in that place. Know their lives and liberty must 331 00:33:31.630 --> 00:33:37.509 have been in constant danger. They must have gotten out of bed every morning 332 00:33:37.589 --> 00:33:42.380 thinking that this might be their very last day on earth. And yet here's 333 00:33:42.420 --> 00:33:47.940 the amazing thing. Even in the midst of these trials and difficulties, these 334 00:33:49.099 --> 00:33:55.009 Christians did not forget to think about other people. They remembered their brothers and 335 00:33:55.130 --> 00:34:00.609 sisters in Philippi, even though they'd never seen those people, they never seen 336 00:34:00.690 --> 00:34:06.089 those people in the flesh. And so when they heard that the Great Apostle 337 00:34:06.250 --> 00:34:10.400 of the gentiles was riding to the Philippian Church, what did they do? 338 00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:15.159 They took care to send a kind message to them. All the saints greet 339 00:34:15.239 --> 00:34:22.000 you, especially those of Caesar's household. You know, there's something expressly beautiful 340 00:34:22.360 --> 00:34:27.510 in that little message. See, it gives a brief picture, if you 341 00:34:27.630 --> 00:34:34.429 will, of the ways and the manners of these early Christians. It shows 342 00:34:34.630 --> 00:34:42.019 me that there was nothing rough and hard and stern and harsh about their Christianity. 343 00:34:44.059 --> 00:34:49.780 No, they were a warm hearted, loving, genial, considerate, 344 00:34:49.900 --> 00:34:57.409 kind, sensitive people. They weren't entirely taken up with themselves and their own 345 00:34:57.730 --> 00:35:02.570 duties, their own crosses, their own conflicts and trials, they could and 346 00:35:02.730 --> 00:35:09.840 did think of others. You know, courtesy and consideration and gentleness and lowliness 347 00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:16.599 toward others. Those are Christian graces which I think don't receive enough attention today. 348 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:22.469 Some Christians behave in such a way that one might think that they thought 349 00:35:22.510 --> 00:35:29.230 it a Christian duty to be rude. But a person who is led by 350 00:35:29.309 --> 00:35:35.780 this spirit ought to be more courteous and polite than others. He should have 351 00:35:36.019 --> 00:35:40.340 within him the roots of all true courtesy, humility and loneliness. Just like 352 00:35:40.500 --> 00:35:45.820 our Lord, he will be lowly in his own eyes, willing to count 353 00:35:45.940 --> 00:35:52.809 everyone better than himself and more worthy of honor, attention and respect. He 354 00:35:52.889 --> 00:35:59.690 will be ready to take the lowest place if that's necessary. He will not 355 00:35:59.809 --> 00:36:06.480 be always thinking of self, of self's ways, of self's desires, of 356 00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:10.239 self's wishes. Rather, his great aim, like his master, will be 357 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:16.559 to serve others. You know, I wish that more of Christian today thought 358 00:36:16.679 --> 00:36:24.550 more of adorning their doctrine and making their religion lovely, beautiful and attractive in 359 00:36:24.630 --> 00:36:30.110 the eyes of men by being more humble and gracious. You know, one 360 00:36:30.110 --> 00:36:36.780 of my fears from this sermon this morning is that some of you will think 361 00:36:36.820 --> 00:36:39.900 that I'm making way way too much out of this little, this lowly gentle 362 00:36:40.019 --> 00:36:47.809 humble demeanor thing, and it's just small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. 363 00:36:50.090 --> 00:36:55.929 But is it really small potatoes? You know, a demeanor of kindness, 364 00:36:59.130 --> 00:37:01.920 a readiness to sympathize with others, to weep with them that weep, 365 00:37:04.280 --> 00:37:08.679 rejoice with them that rejoice, a willingness to offer assistance even when it seems 366 00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:15.750 like unlikely to be appreciated, a kind message in time of trouble or a 367 00:37:15.909 --> 00:37:21.829 cot, a kind inquiry in time of sickness, and all of that may 368 00:37:21.909 --> 00:37:27.110 seem like small potatoes, but I want to suggest they're not as small as 369 00:37:27.190 --> 00:37:31.300 a lot of people think. You see, people don't forget those sorts of 370 00:37:31.340 --> 00:37:37.619 things. Actions like this tend to increase your influence. They help open a 371 00:37:37.780 --> 00:37:43.539 door of usefulness. They make people more willing to hear what you have to 372 00:37:43.659 --> 00:37:49.329 say for the cause of Christ. You See, when people see that you're 373 00:37:49.369 --> 00:37:53.369 truly lowly, gentle and humble and that you sincerely care for them, they're 374 00:37:53.409 --> 00:37:58.289 more open, I think, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe 375 00:37:58.409 --> 00:38:05.559 that. I firmly believe that so dar ones I come today to encourage you 376 00:38:05.719 --> 00:38:12.519 to pray earnestly for the grace to be lowly. We need to do that 377 00:38:12.760 --> 00:38:16.829 because none of us are like that by nature. By nature, you and 378 00:38:16.909 --> 00:38:22.030 I are out for ourselves, and this is the only way of triumph, 379 00:38:23.309 --> 00:38:29.179 this is the way of ultimate victory. It's not in strength and swords, 380 00:38:29.300 --> 00:38:32.659 but in weakness, in humility and lowliness. Nor think again of the words 381 00:38:32.699 --> 00:38:37.260 of that great hymn, for not with swords, loud clashing or roll of 382 00:38:37.340 --> 00:38:44.250 stirring drums, but deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes. So 383 00:38:45.289 --> 00:38:52.849 enough said, and I leave the subject now to your calm consideration. Be 384 00:38:52.050 --> 00:38:58.320 Lowly like your king who comes to you. Well, indeed, would it 385 00:38:58.440 --> 00:39:04.840 be for the cause of Christ if all Christians walked in his steps as lowly, 386 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:09.429 humble gentle servants? I I pray this morning that you would be so 387 00:39:09.630 --> 00:39:15.389 absorbed, so wrapt up in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, in his cause, 388 00:39:15.670 --> 00:39:20.989 that you would have absolutely no time, you would have no inclination for 389 00:39:21.070 --> 00:39:27.780 anything approximating to pride. May Christ absorb your life so much that you would 390 00:39:27.820 --> 00:39:32.099 walk in all lowliness and humility before him and others. Let's pray